The Premier League have made the decision to suspend their Russian TV deal due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The announcement was made on Thursday during the annual general meeting between clubs, with no vote held over the decision.
The deal was with broadcasting company MATCH, who owned the rights to show the Premier League in Russia from the 2022/23 season until 2027/28. The deal was worth a reported £44million across the six years and this suspension means that no matches will be legally broadcasted from there until the deal is released from suspension.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sent shockwaves throughout the world, with little left untouched by the news. Football is included in that, with sanctions placed upon the Russian Football Federation by UEFA.
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This could also be felt a little closer to home. Sanctions were placed upon Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich by the UK Government back in March, with the 55-year-old announcing his intention to sell the club.
His assets were frozen, forcing the Blues to operate under a special sporting license until a takeover was complete. The process was complicated, with the government making sure none of the money raised by the sale would go back to Mr Abramovich.
The TV deal suspension is just the latest in a series of measures laid out by the league in wake of the invasion.
